My Friend Michael

I do apologise in advance. I have been silent for 10 weeks, which has never happened before, and now I'm coming back with a real downer of a post. I just had to get that off my chest.

In all honesty, I didn't know Michael all that well. It was his wife that I had known for many years, and Michael came along much later. But we did meet on a few occasions and several years ago they stayed with us for a couple of days when some of us did the Valentia triathlon, down in Kerry. We got to talk a good bit and I knew him a little better after that.

The one quality I admire in people almost more than anything else is resilience. Michael had tons of that. He really had the odds stacked against him. He was born blind, caused by a genetic condition which he shared with some of his siblings. That alone would have been enough to stop almost everyone. Not Michael. He didn't let that get in his way. He became a successful athlete, doing triathlons and marathons and more, training when he could, despite the obvious obstacles.

He also met a wonderful, supportive partner, married her and had 2 children. And then, as if being blind wasn't enough, he got cancer. He didn't take that lying down either; he fought it with all he could. When things got worse, he opted for a dangerous operation rather than let it all drift away, which was of course typical of him. He was never the one to give up, no matter how hard it was.

Actually, the operation seemed to work, he got another lease of life, could see his little girls grow up for a bit longer, but then it all came back and this time there was to be no stopping it. The cancer had come back, he was told he had less than a year to live and this time there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Michael passed away last night. My thought are with his family, particularly his wife and his girls, the youngest of whom is probably too young to ever remember him in years to come.

Life can be so fucking unfair! Good bye, Michael. You were one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. I will miss you!